It is currently essential to produce a predetermined quantative amount of work product during a given period which will make the production operation economical and profitable. It is substantially imperative that the amount of production accomplished in time sequence operations be determined at frequent intervals without interrupting the operations to perform an ultimate automatic or manual counting of the number of products produced or work accomplished. Thus, a surveillance is necessary to police the efficiency of time sequence operations whether the operation be accomplished automatically, manually or partially manually.
In certain industries a definite number of time sequence operations are required in a given period of time in order to maintain the balance or operating rate of the production line in constant and even flow. In other words, the production step obtained in each unit of the time sequence provides the difference between practical commercial sucess and failure. Despite this fact, there are little, if any successful and dependable economical means by which the efficiency of time sequence operations can be, at all times, effectively ascertained. There is a dearth of surveillance means which can measure and signal the fact that a virtually infinitesimal slowdown has occurred despite the effect of the collective increments of such a slowdown on the overall operation.
Use of large computers and the like has been attempted for the foregoing purposes. The expense thereof and their lack of reliability under many conditions in actual practice have indicated that they do not provide the proper solution to the problem. Furthermore, the results of the surveillance must be made immediately known to the user of the surveillance system in order that corrective measures be taken before any substantial loss is incurred and this has not been economically accomplished.